KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) is offering its election machinery to the five Sabah STAR assemblymen who remained with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) after their party pulled out of the coalition.
PBS information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said the decision was made during the party's political bureau meeting chaired by acting president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam on Thursday (Oct 9).
He said Gunsalam has directed divisions in the five constituencies – Sook, Bingkor, Paginatan, Liawan, and Tulid – to initiate discussions with the five, who continued to support GRS after Sabah STAR president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan pulled out of the coalition on Oct 1.
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They are Datuk Ellron Angin (Sook), Datuk Robert Tawik (Bingkor), Datuk Abidin Madingkir Paginatan), Datuk Annuar Ayub (Liawan), and Datuk Flovia Ng (Tulid).
"These constituencies are among the areas where PBS has a strong and active grassroots presence.
“The party believes that by pooling resources and working together on the ground, GRS can maintain its momentum and secure the confidence of voters in the upcoming state election," said Bangkuai, who is also GRS information chief.
"PBS has long maintained cooperation with them on the ground, and we will continue this partnership in the true spirit of GRS unity," he added.
He said this support is driven by the understanding that cooperation and trust among GRS component parties are essential to political stability and delivering development to the people.
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"Our decision was made out of a shared responsibility to preserve the trust and confidence that the people have placed in GRS, and to continue what we have started together under GRS, for the benefit of our communities," he said.
Kitingan had said the party was dissatisfied with GRS' decision to forge an election pact with Sabah Pakatan Harapan.
Sabah STAR is among the proponents for purely local parties to govern Sabah.
Last week, GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that the memberships of Sabah STAR and the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in the coalition had been terminated following their decision to contest the state election using their respective party logos.
